This invention relates to ice piece dispensers for domestic refrigerators, and more particularly to an apparatus which protects the hinge mechanism of the door from damage resulting from the movement of ice which is being dispensed.
Many homeowners enjoy the convenience of owning a household refrigerator with an automatic ice maker which delivers "ice cubes" to an exterior service area in front of the door. An example of such a through-the-door ice piece dispenser is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,266, issued Sept. 2, 1980 to Braden et al, wherein the automatic ice maker is located in the freezer compartment of a side-by-side refrigerator. The ice pieces are dispensed from a storage bin and fall by gravity through the door passage and enter the service area for collection in a suitable container by the operator. In particular, the Braden et al patent shows a mechanism for a closure member or ice door which is used to seal the ice passage or chute in the refrigerator cabinet. The present application relates to a guard to shield the hinge of the closure member from ice pieces which are delivered through the ice drop passage in the refrigerator cabinet.
It is necessary in refrigerator ice dispensing arrangements to provide a closure member or door to seal the passageway. This closure member prevents the flow of room temperature air through the service area into the freezer ice piece storage bin, as well as preventing atropying ice from traveling through the passageway in the refrigerator door into the service area, where it will melt and leave a pool of water.
The above-mentioned Braden patent discloses such a closure member, which is hinged away from the opening of the ice drop passage in the refrigerator cabinet. Upon the pushing of an actuator, the closure member is swung open upwardly to allow ice pieces to pass from the upper ice passageway in the refrigerator cabinet into the lower ice passageway in the refrigerator door. Some ice pieces may continue to fall through the upper ice passageway as the closure member is swinging shut, or even after it has closed. Thus, in the Braden et al patent, it is possible that ice pieces may fall from the upper passageway into the closure member cavity in the refrigerator door instead of following the lower passage, and become trapped behing the closure member. This presents several problems: the ice piece may become wedged between the closure member and the closure member support, which prevents the closure member from achieving its fully open position; the ice piece may melt and refreeze, locking the closure member into its closed position. While both possibilities are frustrating to the refrigerator owner in and of themselves, the real danger with either situation is that the refrigerator owner will apply an extreme amount of pressure to the operating actuator in an attempt to open the closure member and the ice passageway, and as a result will permanently damage the camming mechanism which causes the closure member to be opened.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to shield the hinging mechanism of the closure member from ice pieces which are dispensed through the passageway in the refrigerator cabinet.
Another object of the present invention is to retain ice pieces in the closure member cavity closer to the passageway which leads from the in storage area in the colder area of the closure member cavity in order to avoid ice cubes melting into the hinge mechanism.
It is an object of the invention as well that the closure member periodically be swept clean of any ice pieces or accumulated water.
In order to meet the preceding objects a pivoting guard or shield is provided which is spring-biased against the top of the closure member. The guard shields the hinge mechanism of the closure member from falling ice pieces, and also sweeps along the top of the closure member as the closure member is opened in order to wipe off any ice pieces or water which might be on the top of the ice door.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.